Not-so-random thoughts and chiseled commentary about life, hockey and collecting autographs (primarily on pucks, sticks and memorabilia) for the pure fun of it, certainly not for profit, during the 2008-09 season. To follow the 2009-10 hockey-hounding campaign, please visit Hound Central 5.0.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Review: 2008-09 Victory

Sure, the 2008-09 Victory is an entry-level product devoid of top-shelf premiums, but that doesn't mean it isn't being welcomed by hockey card collectors. Not only does it represent the first release of the new season, but it also contains the first non-rookie, and extremely signable, cards of Chicago's dynamic duo, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.

The benefits, however, go far beyond its low cost and quick fix to many cases of hockey withdrawal. In the product we found -- 11-pack retail boxes for $9.99 at our local Target store -- each box contained a jumbo card (one of 42 available) suitable for getting signed and putting on display. Each player card also has a pronunciation guide.

Of course, too, we were psyched to snag this Stars of the Game card of Boston's Patrice Bergeron, a favored player in Puckhound's family. The photo must have been taken early in the season, as it shows Bergeron in the Bruins' new duds before he got hurt.

One disappointment, and it really is a minor one, is a bounty of rookie cards from relatively unknown players. Granted, most of Victory's rookie set were late-season call-ups, but selectivity would only add to value.

Still, though, Victory Hockey is a welcome sight and a useful product for hounding. Picking up a box or two can only help us survive the dog days of late summer.

Puckhound's snapshot

Product: 2008-09 Victory HockeyVital stats: 200-card base set, 50-card rookie set, gold and black parallels, 50-card Game Breakers insert set and a 50-card Stars of the Game insert setSomething good: A low-price product that provides a quick fix for those of us suffering through hockey withdrawalSomething bad: A bunch of rookies that only the most devout of hockey fans would recognizePuckhound's score: 2.5 pucks of 5 pucks